What’s the optimal amount of coal needed to smelt a stack of ore?

In Valheim, smelting ore into bars is a critical step in progressing through the game, as it allows you to craft stronger tools, weapons, and armor. To smelt ore, you need a Charcoal Kiln to produce coal and a Smelter to process the ore. The most common ores include Copper, Tin, Iron, Silver, and Black Metal, each requiring coal to smelt. Understanding the optimal amount of coal needed to smelt a full stack of ore (which is 30 units) is essential for efficient resource management.\n\nA single piece of ore requires 1 coal to smelt into a bar. This means that for a full stack of 30 ore, you will need 30 coal. However, this is just the baseline calculation. In practice, you may need to account for additional factors, such as the time it takes to produce coal and the efficiency of your smelting setup. For example, a Charcoal Kiln converts 1 wood into 1 coal every 16 seconds, so producing 30 coal will take 8 minutes of continuous operation.\n\nTo optimize your smelting process, consider building multiple Charcoal Kilns and Smelters. This allows you to produce coal and smelt ore simultaneously, reducing downtime. For instance, if you have 2 Charcoal Kilns and 2 Smelters, you can produce 60 coal and smelt 60 ore in the same 8-minute window. This setup is particularly useful when dealing with large quantities of ore, such as when mining in the Black Forest (for Copper and Tin) or the Swamp (for Iron).\n\nAnother practical tip is to stockpile coal in advance. If you know you’ll be mining a significant amount of ore, start producing coal early. This ensures that your Smelters are always running at full capacity, minimizing delays. Additionally, consider using a Surtling Core to build a Portal near your mining site. This allows you to quickly transport ore back to your base without wasting time traveling long distances.\n\nFor new players, it’s important to note that coal can also be obtained by burning wood in a Campfire or by defeating Surtlings in the Ashlands biome. However, these methods are less efficient than using a Charcoal Kiln. Once you’ve established a steady supply of wood (from the Meadows or Black Forest), focus on building and upgrading your Charcoal Kilns to maximize coal production.\n\nExperienced Vikings can further optimize their smelting process by using mods or automation tools, though these are not part of the base game. For vanilla gameplay, the key is to balance resource production with smelting capacity. Always keep an eye on your coal supply and plan ahead to avoid bottlenecks.\n\nIn summary, smelting a full stack of 30 ore requires 30 coal. To ensure a smooth and efficient process, build multiple Charcoal Kilns and Smelters, stockpile coal in advance, and use Portals to streamline ore transportation. By following these steps, you can maximize your resource output and focus on conquering Valheim’s challenges.